The Many Meanings of Flowers
by sinisteredgirl
Summary: The bush clover has bloomed; now, it's time for her to grow. A collection of stories centered on the florist kunoichi after the war.
1. Pink Carnation

Pink Carnation - A mother's love. One of the most popular flowers given during Mother's Day.

* * *

She is home.

For a while, this was the only thought that echoed on her mind as she stood before the familiar outline of their house. This was what she fought for—what all of them fought for—a chance to return home.

The thought only grew stronger when she caught the sweet scent of the various flora that lined their garden. It was a point of pride for her father, having the most beautiful garden amongst the Yamanakas. He would spend countless hours cultivating it, and in return the flowers bloomed dutifully for him. Whatever his father plants always flourished.

At the thought of him, Ino's chest constricts, but there was an inexplicable numbness that pervaded inside. Which was strange, she thought, because emotions came at her like the wind on one's lungs. Perhaps the battle hasn't worn out its effects. She was still the composed Ino, the one who didn't—who couldn't—crumple even after her own father's death. Not when thousands of shinobi needed her.

She exhales shakily and pushes open the front door. Her mind expects to see two sandals lined up, one bigger than the other, but her eyes sees only one, and she sighs.

She removes her war-trodden sandals and takes tentative, delicate steps inside. All the while, her eyes wander around the inside of the house, noting how everything looks...the same; pristine, well-kept, as if nothing has changed.

 _As if nothing has changed_.

It's as if it was mocking her, Ino thought, as she half-expects her father to show up in the corner and welcome her, garden gloves in tow. He would ask her about her day, as he always did, and would tell her a little bit about his day in return—believe it or not, the talkativeness came from the Yamanakas—or to go help out mom, see if she needs anything.

She closes her eyes and whisks away the image.

As she stumbled to the kitchen to get a glass of water, she sees a figure—brown hair, which was perfectly kept in a bun, and an emerald dress, clean and impeccable. The person stood near the shelves, with her back facing the kunoichi. Cradled in her hand was a lone picture frame—a marriage photo from long ago.

"Mom..." a whisper escapes Ino's lips unconsciously, and the figure caught it swiftly, turning around to see its source. No tears marred her mother's face, but the daughter could see deep lines that made her look older than she seems, and a shadow—something she cannot put a name to, perhaps grief, perhaps longing.

Ino then realized she didn't say 'I'm home' when she entered the house, which explains why her mother had that look of surprise on her face. The look quickly turned into a searching one, however, as the practiced eye of her mother quickly scanned her daughter's body for injuries—something that she developed especially when both her husband and child are active shinobi. When she saw that all of the wounds—at least the physical ones—are either on the road to recovery or has been well-patched, she visibly relaxes and breathes a sigh of relief.

Ino resembled her father in almost all aspects, and this frequently translated to clashes with her mother. More than once, too, has it been pointed out how diametrically opposite she was from her mother; Ino was loud and boisterous while her mother was mild-mannered and refined; she was a storm and her mother was the calm of the ocean. But in the face of sorrow, their differences dissolve—at that moment, there was only a mother and a daughter left jagged and raw from the loss of a loved one.

A beat passes, and Ino struggles to form a coherent sentence to say.

"...Mom..." she tries again, but her tongue can't seem to go past the first word. What can she say? What _should_ she say? When the air of loss and grief between them is so palpable that she could drown on it, what words are there left to say?

But when she lifted her eyes to meet her mother's, the inner turmoil stopped. Her mother's single gaze held all the missing words, and at once it overwhelms Ino in the intensity of love and tenderness that it held. _I understand_ , it says, _you don't need to say anything else_.

Her mother then stretched out her arms to her, inviting, and Ino runs to it without a second thought. In her mother's embrace, the Battle-Ino—the composed, collected Ino—recedes, and a flurry of intense emotions rushed in and violently pulled at her, like a dam opening and flooding the inside of her soul. She cried like never before as she cried a war's worth of tears—the loss of her father, their final fight with Asuma-sensei, her injured and equally-broken friends, the innumerable deaths—and her mother was there to catch her when her knees gave away, and she soothed her hair and kissed her temple at every hitch and whimper. Ino knows that her mother's heart is breaking as well, but the latter keeps her eyes dry, and she lets Ino cry for the _both_ of them. This makes her cry all the more.

They stayed like that for a long while, each holding on to the other until the rain from Ino's eyes have stopped. Her mother then gently placed her hands on the sides of Ino's face, breathing out her first words since her daughter's arrival.

"Welcome home, dear."


	2. Valerian

Valerian flower - comes from the word 'Valere', meaning to be strong or to be healthy.

Also, this story fits in after the The Last Movie and before Sakura Hiden.

* * *

"Hah!"

On a forest clearing near the outskirts of Konoha, a lone kunoichi was seen practicing fervently. She swung the wooden pole at hand with expert precision, which she combined with flawless footwork to deliver move after move of powerful slashes, striking at no one in particular. Satisfied, she exhaled deeply and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

"I knew I'd find you here, Tenten."

She tensed for a moment, relaxing only when her brown eyes met blue, clear ones. "Ino!"

The blonde walked towards the center of the clearing, eyeing the various weapons strewn and scattered about. "Deep in training, I see."

"Yep. Even if the war is over, it's good to now and then sharpen my skills," Tenten grabbed a towel from her pack and wiped away the sweat and dirt from her face. It's true that they were now in an era of peace, but soldiers such as they should be ready for combat at anytime. "How did you find me here?" She queried.

Ino flashed her usual cheeky smile. "I knew that Team Gai always practiced somewhere around here, so I scanned the area and looked for your chakra."

Tenten blinked at her. "You were looking for me?"

"Yeah," there was a tinge of uneasiness in Ino's voice, "I wanted to…ask for a favor."

"What is it?"

The blonde then gave her a determined look. "Could you train me in taijutsu? I can be your sparring partner or something."

The other kunoichi raised an eyebrow at this. "Eh? What's this, all of a sudden?"

"It's because my current skillset either gives support or needs it that when I'm in a pinch, I get in trouble." Ino explained in a factly manner, which honestly surprised Tenten. "The Shintenshin no Jutsu, for example, requires support from others and has to be used tactically. It's something that can't be used on the frontlines. The same goes with healing, of course."

Tenten blinked a few times more before rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, as if embarrassed by something. "Well, I'm flattered that you'd come to _me_ for training, but why not Hinata? Or even Sakura?"

"Hinata is…well, busy nowadays," _with Naruto_ , Ino added mentally, "and while _Forehead_ _is_ good with taijutsu, I think a lot of it comes from the chakra control that Tsunade-sama specifically taught her. When it comes to taijutsu techniques, I think you're a better candidate. After all, you're the one who's teamed up with other ridiculously strong taijutsu fighters," She finished with a wink.

It was a fair point, Tenten thought, but Ino's well-thought answer surprised and bewildered her all the same. She half-expected the answer to be because she doesn't want to learn anything from Sakura, or _something else_ , but Ino's explanation made it clear that she had thought about this, and that _she wants this_.

"How about Rock Lee then?"

"I don't want to die, thank you."

The brunette laughed a little. "Wow, so you really _are_ serious about this."

"Of course! When was I ever not serious about something?"

The weapon-master rolled her eyes and sighed. "Right, right. Well, if we're going to do this, then I'll be asking a favor in return…"

The blonde's eyes widened when she heard the other kunoichi's request.

"That's it? You know, I would've done that even if you'd just ask me to."

Tenten grinned at this. "Well, a deal's a deal," she stretched out a little before walking off and assuming her regular fighting stance. "So, do you want to start with lesson one today?"

* * *

The sun was already setting when they decided to end their first session. "Man, that was rough!" Ino grunted, the green sheen that came from her hand wavered slightly. "Are you sure I didn't make you angry in the past? Sure looks like you took it out on me."

Tenten had her eyes closed as she relaxed under Ino's healing. "Hey, you're the one wanted to be my sparring partner." Hearing Ino's 'hmph' in defeat, Tenten continued, "You're not bad, Ino, you just need more practice. Also, you need to work on your reactive skill—you need to not double-guess your next move and just react."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind." The blonde said it in such a serious tone that the weapon-master opened her eyes and looked at the former with piqued interest.

"So…what brought this on? Why the sudden interest in honing your taijutsu?"

"I told you, it's because my current skillset—"

"—is largely support-oriented, I know," Tenten interrupted, "but before, it didn't matter to you. You barreled through the war without a thought on it. After all, you got your team—"

 _Ah,_ suddenly it clicks on Tenten. _So that's it_.

Ino sensed this, but decided to finish whatever thought came from Tenten, "Before, I got my team, right? Well, Shikamaru has been assigned to a post in the Shinobi Alliance, so he's got duties of his own. Choji has his own share of missions as well," She recounted, a fond smile forming on her lips at the thought of her childhood friends climbing up and taking more responsibilities in the Shinobi world. "I'm swamped with hospital duty and Intelligence work as well, so I…don't really have the two of them watching my back anymore."

Underneath those words, however, was a strong, unspoken sentiment. _I have to stand on my own now._

Tenten caught this and smiled all the same, for the sentiment was shared. Though the teams are still there and ready whenever the Village needs them to, each of them has embraced their separate duties and is now forging their own paths. "We've all grown up after the war," she mused out loud, and suddenly it felt like the war has ended long ago, but in fact it's only been about two years since then.

Ino returned the smile, but said nothing. Just then, the healing light from her hands vanished.

"About the favor you asked me," Ino said, tilting her head in a questioning manner, "what type of flowers did Neji-san prefer?"

"Uh-oh. I never thought of that," Tenten had her hand in her chin, seemingly deep in thought. "Hmm. Sunflowers would be nice, I guess."

"Roger that. I'll bring a basket of it tomorrow morning. Sounds good?"

"Yes," the brunette said, followed by a watery laugh. "Thank you."

* * *

Morning has barely broken over the sleeping village when the Yamanaka heiress traveled to the outskirts to visit an already familiar place—the Konoha cemetery. She carefully threaded through rows upon rows of gravestones, noting not for the first time that the cemetery has largely expanded right after the war— _too large_.

After placing a bouquet on her father's grave, as well as on Asuma-sensei's and on Shikaku Nara's, Ino made her way towards the grave of a person she considered a _comrade_ , placing in front of it a basket of Sunflowers as agreed upon.

 _Tenten's favor in return_.

"Neji-san," She whispered, careful not to have her voice disturb the peace that enveloped the place, "We're all busy growing up. So watch over us, okay?"

* * *

I got this idea in Sakura Hiden, specifically the part when Ino supports the team using her taijutsu. The databook says she's not really keen on her taijutsu, so I guess she must have had honed her skills.


	3. Daffodils

Daffodils-New Beginnings

I'm...not too sure about this chapter. Oh well. No matter how many times I re-write it, I never get satisfied. Oh and I guess this should've been Chapter 2, huh?

To the people who reviewed, thank you!

* * *

"Thank you, come again!"

Ino bowed as a customer exited from the shop, a bouquet of red tulips in tow. _It must be for a girl_ , she thought as she specifically recalls the nervous look he gave her when she inquired about the occasion. He squeaked in a small "nothing in particular" in response, but the look on his face practically gave it away.

The flower shop was busier than ever after the war. Occasions happened all around—weddings, get-togethers, engagements, a whole lot of _proposals_ —and the Yamanaka business has got itself full of orders. And more pour in every day. There was an air of infectious optimism in the Village, and people apparently took this opportunity to expand their lives. Konoha continued to rebuild, and its people flourished.

The blonde nudged herself out of her own reverie, and she began to prepare the next bouquet for an order. This time, it was a celebration for a birth of a child, and Ino quickly browsed through her mental catalogue of flowers to find a perfect fit. In the end, she decided on bright daffodils, symbolizing new beginnings.

She was just about to wrap the bouquet she arranged when the tell-tale bell from the front door chimed in noisily. A customer.

Her mother was off today, so it was all up to her to fulfill orders and at the same time to accommodate customers. It's about time they consider another part-timer, she thought as she hastily wiped off the dirt from her hands with her apron. "Welcome! How may I help—"

Ino blinked and stared at the man in front of her. His austere looks and imposing figure stuck out like a sore thumb inside the shop's many bright colors.

"Ibiki-san!"

Ibiki Morino is one of the most feared persons in the Village and it's easy to see why. His reputation as the Head of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force preceded him, and he wore it as easily as his black coat. In fact, during the first few times that her father brought her to his work in the division, she would cry and hide behind her father as soon as the grim-looking man would enter the room.

She's not scared of him now, of course. Her father considered him as one of his oldest friends.

"How are your injuries? Why did they release you so soon from the hospital?" Ino searchingly glanced at his figure. He suffered an injury at the height of the war, no doubt from the fact that he was still recovering from the severe injury he got from one of Pain's puppet-corpse when he was thrust on the battlefield. They insisted on him not participating in the battle, or at least not on the _frontlines_ , but he would have none of it.

"I'm fine. The injury's a lot less severe than it looks so the doctor had me discharged," He replied. Ino furrowed her eyebrows at this. As a man who could withstand an astonishing amount of physical pain, of course he would downplay these kinds of injuries. She decided not to pursue it this time though.

She remembered that Ibiki came as a customer, so she straightened up and plastered her usual business smile. "Ah, so how can I help you?"

The customer in question perused the bouquets in display. "I'll be visiting some friends today. Any bouquet will do."

"Just one?"

"Just one."

Ino nodded, and already she was lining up in her mind the possible flower choices. "Are they in the hospital?"

"No," The corner of Ibiki's mouth slightly turned upward in what Ino deemed as a half-smile, at best. "They're in the cemetery."

Ino was visibly taken back. She scrambled to say an apology, but Ibiki quickly added, "The bouquet though is for your father. He always blabbered about his plants, so I thought I'd bring him some today."

A small, genuine smile tugged at Ino's lips. "Thank you. I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

She scurried to the shelves then, carefully examining and picking the flowers for the arrangement. She and her mother left flowers and incense at his father's grave whenever possible, and each time they would bring different kinds. Last time, they brought a handful of vibrant peonies and larkspur. For Ibiki's bouquet, she decided on roses and sweet peas.

After gathering enough blooms, she walked back to her place behind the counter and started arranging the pieces. She has long mastered the art of floral arrangements, but the heavy silence in the room plus the fact that Ibiki was intently observing her handiwork kind of unnerved her, and so she decided to break the silence.

"How is the division?" She was of course referring to the Intelligence Division, under which Ibiki's Torture and Interrogation Force operated. Due to her father's work, she had known a lot of people from it, and they knew her as well—the daddy's girl always tailing around her father.

After a few beats, a tired sigh was heard from the man. "Many survived, but a lot more has been killed. The wipeout of the Alliance HQ took out many great minds, your father and Shikaku included."

The image of the bijuu ball lurching towards the direction of the HQ replayed in Ino's mind. Her hands unconsciously brunched up, slightly crinkling the bouquet's paper wrap.

"But we're slowly rebuilding," continued Ibiki, his words drawled out. "For the mean time, I asked Santa Yamanaka to head the Analysis Team."

"Santa-ojichan?" A talented jounin from the clan, Santa Yamanaka was Inoichi's younger cousin, and Ino always considered him as an Uncle. She remembered getting lessons from him whenever her father wasn't there.

Ibiki nodded. "He's a skilled shinobi with a mastery of the mind-reading techniques, so I have no doubt that the team would be in good hands. He's already agreed to it, but only until..."

An odd look passed over Ibiki's face, and Ino swiftly caught it. "Only until...?" She prodded, but the head of the Torture and Investigation Force quickly shook his head.

"How much is it?" He pointed to the now-finished bouquet. Ino raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of subject, but didn't contest.

"You're bringing it for my father, right? I can't possibly charge you for that."

"Oh? Then thank you."

The blonde immediately handed over the flowers to Ibiki. He studied it momentarily, lightly touching the petals of the sweet peas before breaking into a small laugh.

"What is it?" Asked Ino, genuinely confused (and slightly perturbed) at the sight of the head of the Torture and Interrogation Force laughing.

Ibiki's laughter died down, but there were still traces of amusement from his face. "I just remembered. Whenever your father gets drunk, he would call us by different flower names. That bastard named me 'daisy' for some reason."

 _Innocence and purity_ , Ino mused inwardly, _that's mean, Dad._

 _"_ But he always did talk about you," Said Ibiki, and his eyes shifted from the flowers to the Yamanaka shopkeeper. She stared back in return, wide-eyed and listening, "drunk or not drunk, he'd always say how he has faith in your abilities and that you'll soon surpass him. Even said that you just might be the best Yamanaka ever born."

Ino knew those words, as her father always said those even to her. "I always dismissed it as a doting parent bragging about his daughter. But after the war, I became quite convinced. What you did - connecting all at once the thoughts of the entire shinobi alliance - was truly outstanding."

The praise by Ibiki felt surreal, and Ino wasn't able to respond at first. At that time, the rush of the battle was coursing through her veins, and so she jumped in and connected the entire Shinobi Alliance without second thoughts. Only afterwards did she realize the massive risk she undertook. Her father's words came back to her— _transmitting beyond your level can mean your very death._ But she did it anyway, and all for the better. Her father would've bursted in pride.

That said, it was still rare to get compliments of it outside her clan. After all, it was much easier to appreciate the genius of the Naras or the strength of the Akimichis. Maybe because Ibiki was so accustomed to working with the Yamanakas that he was aware of just how difficult and straining their techniques were, and of the one-of-a-kind feat she has done.

"T-thank you," was all she could blurt out.

Just then, Ibiki straightened himself, and his face resumed its usual sternness. "Since time immemorial, your clan has been an essential component of Konoha's Intelligence. The techniques of your clan have proven invaluable in gathering information and in identifying threats, and your leaders have all dedicated their lives protecting the Village this way, including the last one." His gaze shifted a little, and his eyes became narrower and more piercing, but the subtlety of it and his words were not lost on Ino. She understood immediately; this was an invitation to join the Intelligence Division. She then got the feeling that Ibiki's visit here wasn't as incidental or as simple as to bring flowers to her father's grave after all.

Sensing Ino's understanding, Ibiki smiled and made a move to leave, his purpose of visit done. When he was near the entrance, however, he gave one last look to the shopkeeper.

"Inoichi was a renowned shinobi in the Intelligence field, both within and outside the Village. I wonder what kind of legend _Ino Yamanaka_ would become?"

He waved with his right hand as his left arm carried the bouquet. "Thank you for the flowers."

The quiet minutes after Ibiki left gave Ino some time to contemplate. These days, her time was occupied by hospital duty (as the injured never seemed to stop pouring in), shop responsibilities, and the occasional missions. The extended invitation gave her pause; perhaps it was time to take up the mantle of the Yamanaka Clan and accept the position in the Intelligence Division. Maybe this was what her father would've wanted.

At the same time, there was a pull within. _This is crazy, I'll be juggling three works—maybe I'm not ready yet—maybe I'll fail their expectations—maybe—_

As she got lost in her thoughts, her hand suddenly brushed against the familiar texture of a paper wrap. It was the bouquet she was preparing before Ibiki came, laid forgotten on the side of the counter. She traced the flowers with tentative fingers.

Daffodils. _New beginnings._

She made up her mind soon after.

* * *

"So, what do you think, _Forehead_?" Ino twisted her body to show to the other woman the full view of her clothes. The black coat followed the movement and swirled around her legs.

"I don't know, _Pig_." Sakura gave a huff. "Seeing that uniform kinda gives me flashbacks on our first chuunin exam. And those...aren't my fondest memories."

Ino hummed in reply, clearly ignoring the pinkette's comment. "Maybe I'll switch to a skirt though. A black skirt to match the coat!" Sakura sighed.

The blonde suddenly looked at her with all-seriousness, "do you think men will get too intimidated by the uniform?"

"Ino, I think _anyone_ would get intimidated when a person donning the T&I uniform comes near them."

"Hmph. I don't need a man who gets frightened by a uniform."

Sakura smiled at this. "Damn right."


End file.
